Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

Electric, Silk & Sadness: The Power of Touch

Today the Daily Post asks us to explore a texture that has significance to us. For me, it’s not so much a question of texture as force and intent. A patch of sidewalk can feel marvelously warm and scratchy under your bare feet on a spring afternoon. After a mile of barefoot travel, however, that rough texture turns to torture, sloughing away the precious tread of your toes, setting each step on fire. Similarly, a cobweb drifting across your face during a morning jog can be a jarring experience, while a careful examination of the same silky web with the tips of your fingers can be magical.

Sometimes I like to be touched gently, and other times more firmly. It is the intent that makes the difference. Is the touch mindful, a symbol of a moment shared and relished by both? A kiss on the cheek can be as simple as a greeting, or as electric as tug on your soul – it’s all in the nuance. An embrace can be the moment you’ve been waiting for, or just another moment from which to move away.

We were created to be connected, and often, though our conscious mind is ignorant to the call, our bodies cry out to be touched with authenticity. Like light or food, love is something that we can’t forgo without suffering greatly. But authenticity is paramount. All touch is not equal, and touch without emotional connection is an inferior product, destined to fail.